Simple living in the country - back to basics

Cheery_Daff

Thank you both 😊 And yes, a Cheery Daff is always better! 😁

I did a bit if reading of the Down to Earth blog yesterday - always gives me a lift and instills the principle of work (well, largely house-related pottering about) being a good thing 😂 Feeling much better about things, and more inclined to get on.

Today has been super productive! Workout, washing, then I had a good work list and managed to get through pretty much everything on it, which is great. Even managed to resolve a situation which arose - not resolve as in get to the end of, I still don't know what the outcome will be, but things were feeling a little antagonistic with someone else and I think I've managed to diffuse it so we're at least not enemies, which has got to be a good thing.

Mr Cheery has gone out, so I'll be back in a minute with a plan...

Cheery_Daff

So... it's rather cooler outside than I was hoping, so not a bit load of time outside. Here's a vague plan...

5.30-6 PREPARATION
* get some coconut dahl in the hay box
* get changed

6-7 SCYTHING
* should get about half a row done, but will see how cold/windy/bitey it is out there

7-8 FOOD AND HOUSEHOLD
* bring washing in
* eat dahl
* run hoover round downstairs and upstairs
* tidy clothes in bathroom
* take compost out

8-8.45 ADMIN ETC
* banking
* happy wheel
* upload photos and back up

8.45-10 VIDEO EDITING
* get the whole of my little video edited and ready to send to friends while Mr Cheery isn't here monopolising my laptop 😂

That should do as a plan! And lots of opportunities to listen to my not-very-cheerful audi book about North Korea.

VintageHistorian

Is the book "Nothing to Envy"? If so I've read it and found it very not cheerful but really interesting. If that's not the one you're reading and you're interested in future reading about NK then I can highly recommend it, really gave me an insight into the nuttiness of the regime.

Cheery_Daff

VintageHistorian said:

Is the book "Nothing to Envy"? If so I've read it and found it very not cheerful but really interesting. If that's not the one you're reading and you're interested in future reading about NK then I can highly recommend it, really gave me an insight into the nuttiness of the regime.

Yes, that's the one - well guessed. It's so interesting, and really not cheerful at all 😕 Making me feel very grateful for all kinds of things, like wages for the work I do, a choice of job, enough food... 😕

Cheery_Daff

So, progress is being made. 

5.30-6 PREPARATION
* get some coconut dahl in the hay box
* get changed

6-7 SCYTHING
* should get about half a row done, but will see how cold/windy/bitey it is out there - yep, half a row done

7-8 FOOD AND HOUSEHOLD
* bring washing in
* eat dahl
* run hoover round downstairs and upstairs
* tidy clothes in bathroom
* take compost out

8-8.45 ADMIN ETC
* banking 
* happy wheel - £57 today, so up to £125 this month!
* upload photos and back up

8.45-10 VIDEO EDITING
* get the whole of my little video edited and ready to send to friends while Mr Cheery isn't here monopolising my laptop 😂

Only things I've not done are hoovered upstairs, and messed about with photos and video. Curled up on sofa now, so will make a start on those things  

Banking done - it was payday the other day, and a slightly confusing one. Some taken off for a strike day (I think just one), an increase as the whole pay scale has shifted up a bit, but I thought I was due to jump an increment too, but apparently that's next month. Anyway, everything is doled into the appropriate pots. I've increased the amount I'm adding to savings from £200 to £350 but will review that once I've got the exact figures next month. At the minute I'm splitting it between a replacement income pot and a holiday pot.

Just aiming for one month as replacement income for now, and once the holiday pot is healthy enough to get us to Ireland later in the year I'll start adding to the pot to replace some of the double glazing... 

Got £54 to claim on expenses, must do that this week. Oh, and the big car is going to the garage tomorrow for a service and replacement tyre. MOT due in October, hoping there won't be any surprises. Last time I took the other car for a service they replaced all the brakes and it cost £900!! This is an old faithful garage though - far more likely to fix stuff with gaffa tape and an old coat hanger than actually replace anything, which is about the right level for our 15 year old cars  

peb

Wish you well with the garage

We used to use one like that,  they improvised a part out of a wheelbarrow handle once.  Very ingenious.  Long retired, current garage is excellent but more orthodox 

Cheery_Daff

Ha, that sounds like a great garage Peb! 😂 This one is alright- sometimes you have to take stuff back a couple of times before they fix everything... The expensive garage wasn't bad - they just catered more for people with better cars who want to fix stuff before it's actually broke, which apparently isn't where I'm at right now 😂

EssexHebridean

Loving the garage tales - I've had plenty of cars in the past where the main method of fixing something often involved enough gaffer tape to stop it rattling... 

themadvix

I've had a minor advisory on my car previously - that the battery was only secured with one cable tie. My garage's (i.e. Mr MV's) response - add another cable tie! 😂

starnac

themadvix said:

I've had a minor advisory on my car previously - that the battery was only secured with one cable tie. My garage's (i.e. Mr MV's) response - add another cable tie! 😂

That sounds like the obvious answer to me